VR-Zone.com — Planex Gigabit Network Attach Storage (NAS)
| Filed Under: | Archives, Networking, Reviews |
| Posted By: | VRArchiver |
| Date Posted: | Fri September 15 2006 11:40 am |
Introduction
The Planex NAS-01G is a single drive Network Attached Storage ( NAS ), that allows for easy back up / storage of your data. With multimedia files now growing in the hundreds of megabytes, if not gigabytes, it only makes sense to invest in a large capacity storage solution to store these files in.
We will be looking at the Planex NAS-01G Gigabit Network Attached Storage today, and compare it to other traditional methods of file storage.
Features
- Support 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet port for network connection .
- Provides 2 USB port for printer and storage.
- Web-base UI for easy configuration .
- Support EXT3 internal H.D file format .
- Support FAT16/32, EXT3 USB Storage file format .
- Auto Networking Configuration Utility for Window O/S .
- Provides Web Server to create a personal web site easily.
- Bulit-in FTP server for user conveniently transfer files by using FTP client.
- Supports CIFS/SMB for Microsoft Network remote users easily retrieve files by using"My Neighborbood".
- Support all standard ATA 133 3.5"IDE HD up to 400G .
- Auto-detect HD for new installed HD(Existed folder and file)
- Provides HD formatting function for new HD or USB storage.
- Provides Password security for Web management & HD Access.
- Supports Unicode for different language character .
- Compatible Windows 95/98/98SE/ME/2000/XP/ NT4.0 .
Specification
|
Model Number |
NAS-01G |
|
CPU |
Motorola MPC8241 266MHz |
|
Memory |
64MB |
|
Flash |
4MB |
|
Data Throughput |
106Mbps |
|
Interface |
10/100/100 x 1 / USB 2.0 x 2 |
|
Support Protocol |
TCP/IP, DHCP, HTTP, SMB, FTP, EXT3 |
|
HDD |
3.5 "ATA 133(Max 400GB) |
|
CIFS / SMB |
Supported |
|
Samba Server |
Supported |
|
FTP Server |
Supported |
|
WEB Server |
Supported |
|
BT-Client |
Supported |
|
File Formats |
EXT3 |
|
DHCP Client |
Supported |
|
SNTP |
Supported |
|
UpnP |
Supported |
|
USB Storage |
FAT32/ EXT2/ EXT3 |
|
USB Print Server |
Supported |
|
Power Button |
Supported |
|
Reset Button |
Supported |
|
LED |
Power / HDD / ACT / . USB 1,2 Link / ACT |
|
UI |
English / Chinese |
|
Support O/S |
Windows NT4.0/95/98/98SE/ME/200/XP |
|
Power Input |
12V/ 3A |
|
Operating Temperature |
0-40 C |
|
Operating Humidity |
10-90 |
|
Dimensions |
220 x 132 x 60 mm |
|
Weight |
750g |
|
Supported Printers |
Support USB 1.1 /2.0 interface printer |
|
EMI |
VCCI Class A, FCC Class A, CE |
|
Package Contents |
NAS-01G, utility/ CD-ROM, AC adapter, user's manual,QIG |
Package Contents
| Platform Test Setup |
|
| CPU |
Intel Pentium D950 3.40ghz |
| Motherboard |
Gigabyte GI-975X |
| Memory |
2 x 1Gb DDR2-667 Patriot Memory |
| Optical Storage |
LG GSA-4163B DVD RW Writer |
| System Storage |
LSI 22915A SCSI U160 HBA |
Maxtor
Atlas 10KIII 18.1gb 10,000rpm U160 HDD |
|
Western
Digital Raptor 36gb 10,000rpm Sata HDD |
|
2
x Western Digital 250Gb SATA HDD |
|
1
x Maxtor 300Gb HDD |
|
| Planex NAS Storage |
Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 200Gb PATA HDD |
Installation
Installation
- Installation of the hardware components was simply straightforward.
- Open 4 screws on the outer enclosure
- Attach hard drive to enclosure
- Secure casing
- Connect Power Supply to Power Outlet
- Connect Ethernet Cables and Power Cables to NAS-01G unit
Setting up the NAS-01G was a little tougher than that. You have to install the PNMD software suite, in order to detect the NAS.
A simple wizard will guide you through the installation process If your network is on fixed IPs. You may need to configure with the IP/DHCP settings.
Note:
The packaging states that it supports FAT 16 / FAT 32, but the manual states
that the hard drive has to be formatted in EXT3 format, before it will even
be recognized. As my hard drive was in NTFS format, it had to be formatted first.
Formatting takes a zippy 3 minutes 45 seconds to complete.
A Web GUI is available for more intricate adjustments.
File Copy Test
With a NAS, some factors need to be considered:
- If I use this as a NAS, how will this affect my performance?
- What is the performance hit compared to using internal hard drives?
Thus Two tests will be performed:
- File Copy Test
- To provide a rough gauge as to the access speeds of the NAS-01G, we will attempt to copy the contents of the Microsoft Windows XP SP2 Disc from one hard drive to another, and back again
- Real World Usage
- Usage of the NAS as a storage and render drive for Video-Editing purposes, with Pinnacle Studio 10.5 Titanium Edition.
We copied the contents of Microsoft Windows XP SP2 from one
hard drive to the NAS, and back to the hard drive. Windows XP SP2 has about
6996 Files, 204 Folders and takes up about 618MB ( 648,905,830
bytes ), as reported by the WinXP Operating System.
AnalogX Netstats Live shows that the bandwidth obtained, using the integrated Broadcom Gigabit LAN of the Gigabyte GI-975X motherboard yielded a maximum of 12MB/s. There seems to be some serious bottleneck here, as a connection to my home server, which is utilizing an Intel Pro/1000 integrated Gigabit network adaptor, yielded a maximum of 27MB/s.
It should be noted that current generation hard drives yield about 20 - 70MB/s of data throughput.
Video Edit, Render Usage
Using Pinnacle Studio 10.5 Titanium Edition, I was able to capture DV quality video without any frame drops. Considering that the bandwidth needed for sustained DV transfers is 3.6MB/s, the NAS-01G should not have any problems capturing video.
Rendering of the sample footage to MPEG2 DVD Compatible format took 1 minute 23 seconds, for rendering to either the Internal SATA Drive, or the NAS-01G.
Conclusion
Besides being easy to setup, the Planex NAS-01g provides a simple and affordable solution for people to back up their important data in a device that is operational 24/7. More stable than an external USB enclosure, Planex created this as a setup and forget box. You set it up, then you forget that it ever existed. Any maintenance work can be done through the Web GUI. Heck, even setting it up is simple enough for those who are not too IT savvy.
Pros |
Cons |
Affordable |
Cheap Plastic Feel |
Storage that is always on, 24/7 |
Slower than Specified Network Transfer |
Power Supply Not Built In |
I would have preferred if Planex had the power supply built into the casing. True, the NAS device might be bigger, but it will produce less of a clutter. Also the slow transfer speed might be a point of contention with those transferring huge multimedia files in the region of several gigabytes a single file.
With a plethora of storage solutions available in the market, the Planex NAS-01G is a recommended solution for SOHO and home users who need to share data without switching on their PCs. The Planex NAS-01G has a Suggested Retail Price of SGD$ 229/ USD$ 150.
More information about this product can be obtained from their offical website.
